New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-30

sky ahead was almost a continuous
blaze OF light. Apprehensive Of an APP
Coaching squall and knowing that to
De taken aback by one with full
spread OF canvas on the vessel meant
destruction, / FASTENED below to con-
suit the captain. Idescended in to the
cabin and found him busy over his
log at the dining-room table. He was
seated directly under the pinnacle SO
that the light from the swinging lamp
above shone directly down upon him.
| spoke to him Of my appre-
tensions as to the threateneds
squall, but he did not seem to
heed me. Raising my voice repeated
what had said, and as he looked up
| saw that he had been drinking heavi-
ly. He forbade with an oath my sug-
gestion to shorten sail, adding that he
meant to be '.on the whaling grounds
or in hell by the morning"
Seeing that it was useless to argue
with him in his then condition turn
ed to go, when an impulse that I can
not explain caused me to glance up
ward. Peering down through the
glass.roofed binnace / distinctly saw
human lace. The hands were curv-
ed round each side of it SO as to
concentrate the light upon the
captain as he sat at the table,
and q pair of cleaning eyeballs
glared wolfshly through the fingers
into the cabin below. l gazed fxedly
upward for a moment, thinking that
perhaps my Imagination was playing
a trick upon me-but no, there was
the face, distinct, uncanny, motion
less. Deeming it an intrusion on the
part of one Of the men upon our pri-
vacy, hastened to the door and
sprang up the companion way, eager
to surprise the intruder. I was on the
deck in an instant, and to my amaze
ment saw that, except the man at the
wheel there was no one abaft the
mainmast. approached the wheels
man and, with assumed carelessness,
asked who it was that had just left
the pinnacle. With look of surprise
that was evidently genuine he an
swered that since had gone below not
a man had been aft but himself. II
strolled for'ard, but the men were
lounging about as usual, some spin
ming yarns, others gazing listlessly
over the side, but apparently just as
they were before had left the deck.
| remember that one Of them, an Azore
Islander, was grooming away in low
voice at one of the chants peculiar to
his people, and I never heard that air
in after days without being reminded
OF the horrors Of that night.
Concluding that the mysterious face
at the pinnacle was creature of my
own imagination, l again took my
seat on the vice bench, determined to
keep sharp eye upon the weather,
which by this time had grown very
threatening A darker night I never
saw. The ship was rushing through the
water at the average rate of about
eight knots, leaving a long trail of
phosphorescent light tn atgleamed far
in her wake. The wind was no longer
steady, but rose and fell in irregular
gusts, causing the vessel to run al
most upon an even keel at times, and
then to keel over and boil along with
chain plates dragging in the water.
Great flashes of light lit up the scene
at intervals, showing a massive cloud
bank rising rapidly almost dead ahead.
My boat steerer, who had been anx-
iously looking out for'ard for some
time, came up to me and said: II
think we're going to get a heavy squall
out there before long, sir; it looks
mighty black" I had about made up
my mind to get in the light canvass,
and clew up the fore and main-sails,
despite the commands of the skipper,
when a loud exclamation from the |
boat steerer of "fore God it's comm
sir!" caused me to spring to my feet.
First there was a prolonged rum
bling sound like distant roll Of mus
kerry, followed by a terrific peal of
thunder that seemed to rend the ocean
to it's very depths, then a furious
downfall of rain ratified upon the deck
like ashower of falling buckshot. The
squall was upon us in all it's fury, and |
struck the ship right forward as if it
had been blow from some gigantic
arm from heaven The worst had I
happened-we were struck aback. The
vessel leaping forward on her course,
had met the shock OF the furious gale
that drove her sails fiat back upon the
splinterlng masts causing her to rear
her bows high in the air, almost bring
ing the taffrail under water. I shout
ed TO the men; HAUL up the foresall!'
then seizing hold of the rail, clambered |
up the slanting deck, and laid hold of
the main clew garnet to get up the
starboard clew. The sail was fast |
bound back to the mast and rigging
by the force of the squall, and might !
as well have tried to lift the ship.
There was q boom like the roar of
cannon, and ! saw the lib, blown clear
out of the bolt-ropes, fly away like |
white cloud to leeward. I shouted to
the helmsman, "Put your wheel to
starboard there-hard a starboard!''
There came no ans wer.
"Starboard that wheel there; quick,
for Gods sake!' Still there was
no reply. Believing that the man
had been carried overheard, / |
turned hastily and looked toward
the pinnacle. A prolonged glare Of |